Knitted fabric and process of making same



Sept. 1, 1931. w.-| HOUSEMAN 1,820,975

KNITTED FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Filed Feb. 20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (If- 2 5 F- a Sept? 3 v w. L. HOU'SEMAN v 1,820,975

KNITTED FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING Filed Feb. .20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 1, I 1931 i one!) STA WILBUR L. Ii'OUSEMAN, OE SOMERTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD- TRUMP BROS. MACHINE COMPANY, 033 \VILIIIINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE Application filed February 20, 1929. Serial No. 341,374.

It is known to knit plated fabric formed of three threads,.namely, a plating thread which is is normally on the face, a backing thread which is normally on the back, and a middlethread which is normally in the middle; all knit into the fabric in plating relation. It is also known to bring the backing thread onto the face of the fabric either I by reversing or otherwise changing the order of the threads while maintaining them in plating relation. It is also known to bring the middle thread onto the face of the fabric by reversing or otherwise changing the order of the threads while maintaining them in plating relation; also byknitting in the middle thread and the plating thread in re-' verse plating relation and floating the'backing thread; also by knitting in only the middle thread and floating the other threads.

Thereby three color striped and figured effects and designs of great variety can be produced. I

The effects produced by knitting in the three threads in a different order so as to bring the backing thread or the middle thread to the face 'is not identicalwith the effect produced by bringing the backing thread orthe middle thread'to the face and floating one I or both of the other threads.

One object of my invention is to provide a fabric in which, in certainpartsthereof, one of the threads is on the face in plating relation to the other threads, while in other parts thereof the same thread is on the face while one of the other threads floats. There'- by not only canthree color effects be prov 'duccd, but variations of a single color effect can be produced. In the drawings and following description, one example of such a fabric is disclosed. i I

Heretofore, in knitting three color 'fabrics as above described, the threads are manipulated by deflecting selected "needles inthe yarn drawing operation, by prematurely depressing selected needles to cause them to escape engagementwith one or two threads, or byboth operations combined; and the I positioning of the plating thread on the face in normal plating has been effected by imposinga greater tension on that thread than on the other two threads. The premature depression of certain needles has been effected by providing such needles with shoulders of different width, which are actuated by a specially constructed radially movable cam, whose action in drawing down a given shouldered needle either at the normal time or prematurely depends on its radial position and on the width of the needle shoulder. Such shoulderedneedles must be constructed with the greatest accuracy, since a slight cleparture from the calculated width of the shoulders renders the operation uncertain any ma produce fabric in which the designs are de ective.- Another and important object of the invention is to simplify the method of causing a thread to escape engagement with selected needles, and to avoid the use of specially constructed shouldered needles and specially constructed actuating cams.

The fabric herein described and shown cannot be produced, it is believed, on any known machine except that herein disclosed, nor is it believed that such a fabric can be produced by merely aggregating old mechanisms or methods for performing the op,- erations hereinafter particularly described. 1 In order that those skilled in the art may produce my improved fabric without the necessity of experimentation, I shall describe part of a circular knitting machine and mechanism applied thereto, which are adapted during the ordinary up and down operation of the needles by the usual cams, to carry out the process I have devised for producing said fabric. In the drawings, to which reference will be made in the description - immediately below it- Fig. 5 is a plan view, more or less diagram- .matic of an arc of the needle cylinder, the

yarn feed and the cams for selectively actuating the needle deflecting means. Fig. 6? is a view similar to. Fig. 5 showing a modification.

Three diiferentlycolored threads a, b and c are fed toward the needles. Threads 7) and 0 may be fed from a yarn carrier 6, which may be positioned about where it is common to position yarn carriers in ordinary knitting "orin the knitting of plated fabric. Greater'tension. is imposed on yarn Z) than on yarn 0 so that yarn b, when knitted into the fabric, will overlie yarn c. The thread a may be fed from a yarn. carrier The point of feed of thread a to theneedles is behind (relative to the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder) the point of feed of threads I) and 0 to the needles. Carrier cl is located closer than carrier etc the circle.

of needles. A greater tension may. be imposed onv thread a than on threads 5 and 0 so as. to insure that thread a will be knit into the fabric. insidethreads b and 0, in order A frictionally against, the outside of the shanks of a number ofneedles before it is engaged by the, descendinghook of a needle and knitted into the fabric; so that it will naturally strongly tend to remain on the inside during knitting and therefore appear on'the face or outside of the finished fabric.

However, in feeding thread a to the needles as shown in Figs. 1; and.5, it will actually be fed; to the inside of the normal needle circle and altogether escape engagement with the hookslof theneedles in the subsequent yarn'drawing movement (which occurs at a point considerably in advance of the point of feed; of thread a) unless special means are 7 provided to prevent such mode of operation.

In order to cause thread a tobecarried around the outside of the circle of needles,

" the needles are deflected radially inward at the point f Fig. 5, that is, at such point. ap-

' proximatelyopposite the point of feed. from carrier d, that the thread wil be fed outside the deflected needles and will, after such d e fiected needles spring back tonormal positlon, remain on the outside of, and be drawn a ainst the shanks of the needles before the v .e; I a v ing off point.

thread is engaged by the needle hooks in the yarn drawing operation.

In order to reverse plate, that is, to knit a plated fabric in which the above described order of the threads is reversed, the hook ends of selected needles f are deflected radially inward in proper timed relation to the yarn drawing movement and to the cast- This, per se, is a known method of operation. In the finished fabric thread 0 appears on the face, thread I) in the middle, and thread a on the back, as shown in the two wales II of Fig. 3 and the part of Fig. 4 immediately above those wales. In order to knit a fabric in which thread 6, appears on the face,the hook endsof se lected needles f are. not deflected inward at the point f Fig. 5, with the result that thread a is carried back of such needles and, in the. subsequent yarn drawing movement of. such needles, is not engaged by the hooks thereof, whereby thread a is not knit into the fabric'but floats back of the same, as illustrated in wales III of Fig. '3 and the part of Fig. 4 immediately thereabove. In order to knit a fabric in which thread 0 appears on the face and thread a floats, the hook ends of selected needles f are not deflected inward at the point P, Fig. 5, with the result that threada is carried back of such needlesand, in the subsequent. yarn drawing movement, is not engaged by the hooksthereofj The hook ends of the same selectedneedles are defiectedradially inward in proper timed relation to the yarn drawing movement and to thecastin'g 0e point. This effects a rev rsal of the'normal positions of threads 6 and a, so that thread 0 appears on the face in plating, relation with thread Z), while thread afioats at the back, as illustrated in wales IV of Fig. 3 and the part of Fig. l immediately thereabove In order'to selectively bend back lncedles it is. preferred to utilize the mechanism disclosed and claimed in an application filed by ine July 29, 1927,.Serial No. 209,393.. Th mechanism is shownin Fig. 2. The needles 7 are moved up and down in a normal knit ting wave by cams 9 operating in the usual way. Fastenedtothe needlecylinder is the sinker dial ]L, which carries thesinkers or web holders 2', which cooperate withthc needles in the usual manner. to form the stitches.

Below'the sinker dial it is a slotted jar-l: 47v dial 7', which is attached to the sinker dia lresscrs c are placed in the needle cylinc r slots after the needles have been inserted and are heldin place by the two spring bands 7 These ,pressers are se shaped that, they be 7 against the needles at theextreme upper en of the pressers and also. at points opposite the springbands m. The needle cylinder slots are of. greater than normal depth at the" upper ends, forming shoulder n. The needles are unsupported abovethese shoulders, which act as fulcrums when needles are pushed back by the upper ends of pressers 7c. The ack dial 7' has slots corresponding in number with the slots in the needle cylinder. At intervals and in groups in accordance with a pattern which is to be formed inthe knitted fabric, jacks 0 are inserted in the dial slots. These jacks areheld lightly in contact withtheir corresponding needle pressers is by a spring band p. I

1A threaded clamp ring 9 holds the jacks in their proper vertical position. The jacks are formed'with slots on their rear ends so that sections may be broken out in different places, leaving butts 1 which may be in any one of any number of (say eight) different vertical positions. l v

The cams s, s for operating the butts r should correspond in number to the number of vertical positions of the butts. Each cam is in alignment with one'of the corresponding butt locations on jacks 0. These cams do not revolve and may be moved, by appropriate pattern mechanism kn own in the art, to and outof the paths of the butts 1" of aclrs o.

lVhenone or more of the cams s or s are moved andheld in the path of jacks 0 ha butts 1" corresponding to the vertical positions of such cams, these jacks will he pushed inward and will in turn rock the correspond ing pressers or pushersk, thereby springing the corresponding needles 7 at the fulcrum points it, causing their hooked ends to be bent back out of linewith adjacentundetlec ted needles in the normal knitting plane.

Since provision mustbe made for deficct ing both selected needles fand also all the needles (except when thread a is to be floated) at pointf two sets of needle (leflecting mechanisms, including two sets of cams s, s are provided. In Fig. 5, the top cam of one set of camsis lettered 3, while the top cam of the other-setof cams lettered s. The two sets of cams are similarly lettered in Fig. 2. It will beunderstood that in an accurate section through eit ier f the two needle deflectingmechanisms, only one set of cams. 8-01 8, could appear; but both sets of cams are shown in Fm. 2 in order to illustrate. their'respective vertical positions and make clear how thevact independently plating relation to only thread 7), while thread a floats (wales TV, Fig.

One of the pronounced advantages of the invention is the fact that reverse plating and floating are both produced by the same kind of operation, namely, by deflecting needles radially inward. This kind of operation presents decided advantages over any other known kind of operation for producing either effect. It is true that needles have been deflected radially inward to produce reverse plating and it is also true that needles have been deflected radially outward to cause the needle to missthe ya rn; but my invention does not involve the more or any, association in one machine of two o-lo. inechauisn'is. Nor is the mode of operation the some would occur if it were possible to associate in one machine the two old mechanisms. in my invention all the needles are deflected ra ially inward at one point in the needle circle. whether it is intended to effect normal plating or reverse plating of all three threads; while selected needles are not so deflected, at the same point in the needle circle, when it is intended that one thread shall float. Neither normal three thread plating nor IGVQYSO three thread plating'can be effected unless the needles are previously deflectechand to effect reverse three thread plating, the needles must be deflected twice at spaced apart points the circle of needles.

The invention is not limited to afabric comprising only three threads so long as it comprises a fabric containing at least three threads; Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, a fourth thread as, as well thread may be fed toward the needles a substantial distance back of the point at which the yarn is drawn down to form loops. The fourth thread may be fed toward the needles in the same way that thread a is fed toward the needles but at a different point in the needle circle; and whether or not the fourth thread shall he knit into the fabric by a given needle will depend on whether or not such needle is deflected at the thread-feeding point. This involves a mere duplication of the yarn feed and needle deflecting devices shown herein for determining the engagen'ient with a needle of thread a. It is clear that if the fourth thread 02 is, for example, subjected to greater tension than the thread 0 it will, if knit into the fabric by a certain needle, ap iear on the face of the fabric in normal plating, where-rs if it is not knit into the fabric thread a, if knit into the fabric, will appear on the face in normal plating; that in reverse plating thread 0 will appear on the face of the fabric; and that if neither thread (1. nor the fourth thread 00 is engaged by a needle hook, tl'irezid b will appear on the face of the fabric in normal knitting.

Having now fully described my invention,

, Patent is whatI claim and desire to protect by Letters 1. A knitted fabric composed of three threads and comprising stitched loops, 1n some of which all three threads are in plating relation with the threads arranged in a certain order, in others of which all three threads are in plating relation with the threads ,arranged in the reverse order, in others of which two threads are in normal plating relation while the third thread floats and in others reversed, other stitched loops composed of the middle thread and the backing thread in plating relationship in which the middle thread appears on the face over the backing thread and the c plating thread floats, and other stitched loops composed of the middle thread and the backing thread in plated relationship in'which the backing thread appears on the face over the middle thread and the plating thread floats. v 3; The process of knitting a plated fabric upon a circular series of independent needles which'coniprises so knitting into the fabric two threads that normally one thread will be on-top of and in plating relation with the other in the knitted fabric, feeding a third thread toward the needles a substantial distance back of the point at which the yarn 1s drawn down to form loops, and causmg said 7 third thread to be drawn arcuately across and in frictional contact with the out-side of successive needles before reaching the point of yarn drawing movement, whereby said third thread will beheld at the inside of the needle hooks during the yarn drawing movement and will appear on the face of the finished fabric in plating relation to the other twothreads and during the knitting operation, whilethe three threads are being acted upon in plating relation, deflecting selected needles at the thread receiving end to reverse the specified plating order of the three threads.

4. The process of knitting a plated fabric upon a circular series ofindependent needles which comprises so knitting into the fabric two threads that normally one thread will be on top of and in plating relation with the other in the knitted fabric, feeding a third thread toward the needles a substantial distance back'of thepoint at which the yarn is drawn down to form loops and causing said third thread to be drawn arcuately across and in frictional contact with the outside 7 of successivezneedles before reaching the point of yarn drawing movement, whereby said third thread will be held at the inside.

of the needle hooks during the yarn drawing movement and will appear on the face of the finished fabric in plating relation to the other two threads, and so manipulating the needles as to cause said third thread to be engaged by the hooks of certain needles and escape engagement with the hooks certain needles and during the knitting operation, while a plurality of threads arebeing acted upon in plating relation, deflecting selected needles at the thread receiving end to reverse the specified plating order of the threads. f

5. The process of knitting a'plated fabric upon a circular series of independent needles which comprises so knitting into the fabric two threads that normally one thread will be on top of and in plating relation with the other in the knitted fabric, feeding a third thread toward the needles a substantial distance back of the point at which the yarn is drawn down to form loops, and cans ing said third thread to be drawn arcuately across and in frictional contact with the outside of successive needles before reaching the point of yarn drawing movement, whereby said third thread will be held at the inside of the needle hooks during the yarn drawing movement and will appear on the face of the finished fabric in plating relation to the other two threads, and so manipulating the needles as to cause said third thread to be engaged by the hooks of certain needles and escape engagement with the hooks of certain needles and during the knitting operation, while only two threads are being acted upon in plating relation, and also while all three threads are being acted upon in plating relation, deflecting selected needles-at the thread receiving end to reverse the specified plating order of the threads.

' 6. The process of knitting a plated fabric upon a circular series of independent'needles which comprises so knitting into'thefabric two threads that normally one thread will be on top of and in'plating relation with'the other in the knitted fabric, feeding a -third thread to the inside'of the'circle of normally positioned needles at a point a substantial dis-- tance backofthe point at whichthe-yarn is drawn down to form loops sothat said third thread will subsequently escape engagementwiththe hooks of needles which were so normally positioned at the feed point, and de-' fleeting inwardly selected needles to "cause said. third thread to feed to the outside of such needles "and hug the needles andibeinposition to be engaged by the hooks ofsuch needles in their yarn drawing movement. whereby saidthi rd thread, when 'engagediby the hooks of selectedneedles, will appear on the face of the finished fabric in plating relation to the first two named threads and, when escaping engagement with the hooks of needles which were not so deflected, will float at the back of the fabric.

,7.'Thc process of knitting a plated fabric upon a circular series of independent needles which comprises so knitting into the fabric two threads that normally one thread will be on top of and in plating relation with the other in the knitted fabric, feeding a third thread to the inside of the circle of normally positioned needles at a point a substantial distance back of the point at which the yarn is drawn down to form loops so that said third thread will subsequently escape engagement with the hooks of needles which were so nor mally positioned atthe feed point, and defleeting inwardly selected needles to cause said engagement with the hooks of needles which were not so deflected, will float at the back of the fabric, and during the knitting operation, while a plurality of threads are being acted upon in plating relation, deflecting selector i needles at the thread receiving end to reverse the specified plating order of the threads.

8. The process of knitting a plated fabric composed of three threads upon a circular series of independent needles which coniprises feeding two threads at about the stitch forming point, feeding a third thread at an earlier point in the needle circle ano so manipulating needles a; both points that each of the three threads is caused to appear on the surface in different parts of the fabric in plated relationship with at least one of the other threads. I

' 9. The process of knitting a plated fabric composed of three threads upon 'a' circular series of independent needles which coinprises feeding two threads at about the stitch forming point, feeding a third thread at an earlier point in the needle circle and so deflecting needles at both points that each of the three. threads is caused to appear on the surface in different parts of thefabric.

10. The process of knitting a plated fabric composed of three threads upon a circular series of independent needles which comprises feeding two threads at about the stitch forming point, feeding a third thread at an earlier point in the needle circle and so manipulating needles at both points that each of the three threads is caused if-O appear on the surface in different parts of the fabric in plated relationship with at least one of the other threads and that in certain" parts of the fabric'one of said threads floats.

I 11. The process of knitting a plated fabric composed of three threads upon a circular series ofindependent needles which comprises feeding two threads at about the stitch forming'pcin't, feeding a third thread at an earlier point in the needle circle and so deflecting needles at both points that each of the three threads is caused to appear on the surface in different parts of the fabric and that in certain parts of the fabric one of said threads floats.

12. A knitted fabric including at least three threads extending continuously along successive courses of the fabric, said fabric having a portion in which all three threads are knit into loops in which one of said threads overlies the second and third of said threads and the second thread overlies the third, and another portion in which the first and second threads are knit into loops with the first thread overlying the second and in which the third thread floats.

13. A knitted fabric including at least three threads extending continuously along successive courses of the fabric, said fabric having .a portion in which all three threads are knit into loops in which one of said threads overlies the second and third of said threads and the second thread overlies the third, another portion in which all three threads are'knit into loops in which the third thread overlies the second and first threads and the second thread overlies the first thread, and still anotherporti-on in which the first and second threads are knit into loops with the first thread overlying the second and in which the third thread floats.

14L A knitted fabric including at least three threads extending continuously along successive courses of the fabric, said fabric havingaporti-on in which all three threads are knit into loops in which one of said threads overlies the second and third of said threads and the second thread overlies the third, another portion in which the first and second threads are knit into loops with the first thread overlying the second and in which the third thread floats, and still another portion in which the first and second threads are knit into loops with the second thread overlying the first and in which the third thread floats.

15. A knitted fabric including at least three threads, said fabric having a portion in which all three threads are knit into loops in which one of said threads overlies the second and third of said threads and the second thread overlies the third, and another portion in which only the first and second of said threads are knit into loops with the first thread overlying the second.

16. A knitted fabric including at least three threads, said fabric having a portion which 7 all three threads are knit into loops in which one of said threads overlies the second and third of said threads and the sec- I 0nd thread overlies the third,another portion I in which all three threads are knit into Loops in which the third thread overlies the second and first threads and the second thread overe lies the first thread, and still another portion in which only the first and second of said threads are knit into loops with the first thread overlying the second.

17. A knitted fabric including at least three threads, said fabric having a portion in which all three threads are knit into 3 loops in which one of said threadsvoverlies the second and third of said threads and the second thread overlies the third, another ortion in which only the first and secon of said threads are knit into loops with the first thread overlying the second, and still another portion in which only the first and second of said threads are knit into loops with the second thread overlying thefirst.

18. A knitted fabric including at least three threads, said fabric having a portion in which all three threads are knit into loops in which one of said threads overlies the second and third of said threads and the second thread overlies the third, another por- 1 tion in which all three threads are knit into loops in which the third thread overlies the second and first threads and the second thread-overlies the first thread, still-another portion in which only the firstand second of said threads are knit into loops with the first thread overlying the a second, and a fourth. portion in which only the first and second of said threads are knit into loops v with the second thread overlying the first.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on this'22nd day of January, 1929.

' WILBUR L. HOUSEMAN. 

